Sister Catherine Ryan testifies before the Senate Public Health CommitteeMaryville Children’s Healthcare Center may soon be able to care for additional children under a plan sponsored in the legislature by State Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago).

House Bill 763 would increase the number of children allowed for treatment under the community-based health care center model.

“This legislation will enable Maryville Children’s Healthcare Center to care for four more medically fragile children,” Mulroe said. “Maryville is an invaluable resource within the district, and I am happy to sponsor this legislation that will allow them to help even more children and families.”

Maryville Children’s Healthcare Center cares for children that depend on medical technology, such as ventilators, and other medically fragile children. The center also trains parents to provide a smooth transition when a child returns home after hospitalization.

“Our Children’s Healthcare Center provides transitional care for young patients who still require complex medical care but are not yet ready to go home,” said Maryville Executive Director Sister Catherine M. Ryan, O.S.F. “We teach families and caregivers how to provide for their children’s medical needs for a safe transition from a medical setting to home. This reduces the re-hospitalization rate dramatically and advances the well-being of our young patients and their families.

House Bill 763 was passed out of committee and moves to the Senate floor for further discussion.

“Every year we must decline to accept patients who need our services,” Ryan said. “We are grateful to Senator Mulroe and the Public Health Committee for supporting this kind of transitional care.”

Illinois may soon see a decrease in premature births due to legislation sponsored by State Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago). Mulroe’s plan will allow pharmacists to administer progesterone injections to pregnant women who have a history of delivering prematurely.

“A prescription for progesterone injections requires pregnant women to receive a weekly shot over the course of 20 weeks, which can be a barrier to women living in rural areas or far from their doctors,” Mulroe said. “I think it’s important to make it easier for individuals to receive the care they need. This legislation seeks to lower the frequency of premature birth by increasing the completion rate of progesterone regimens."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, preterm birth affects about one in 10 children born in the United States and a little over a third of infant deaths are due to complications related to premature birth. Preterm birth can cause cerebral palsy, developmental delays and vision issues, among other problems.

Senate Bill 317 passed the Senate without opposition and moves to the House for further consideration.

State Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago) supported a plan to make neighborhoods safer by helping pass the Safe Neighborhood Reforms Act, which encourages courts to enact stronger sentencing for repeat gun offenders.

“I am proud to support this legislation and efforts to curb gun violence in Chicago and around the state,” Mulroe said. “A large portion of crime is committed by repeat offenders, and I believe they should be held accountable by our criminal justice system. This is not a silver bullet to solve gun problems in our state, but it is a step in the right direction.”

Senate Bill 1722 guides courts to implement higher sentences within the existing sentencing range for individuals charged with aggravated unlawful use of weapons and unlawful use or possession of a weapon by a felon. The legislation also seeks to reduce the prison population by addressing sentencing for nonviolent individuals.

“SB 1722 combines tougher guidelines while also increasing access to educational and rehabilitation programing for offenders,” Mulroe said. “With efforts like this, I believe we will be able to curb gun violence in Chicago and bring it down from its historic levels.”

SPRINGFIELD – Senate Bill 1799 introduced by State Senator John G. Mulroe (D-Chicago) seeks to reduce the time juveniles are kept in custody upon arrest to, in turn, decrease the likeliness that a juvenile will be re-arrested later in life. SB 1799 requires juveniles to appear before a judicial officer within 48 hours of being taken into custody, regardless of weekends and court holidays.

“Studies have shown that reducing the amount of time that a juvenile spends in custody will decrease the likeliness that that individual will be arrested again and their likeliness of joining the adult prison population,” Mulroe said. “This is a common sense piece of legislation.”

Under current law, a minor must appear before a judicial officer within 40 hours of detainment, not including weekends or court holidays. To help facilitate the change of including weekends and court holidays, the minor may appear through two way audio-visual communication.

“While working as an assistant state’s attorney, I saw defendants with criminal records extending back to when they were teenagers,” Mulroe said. “Plenty of crime occurs by repeat offenders. This legislation is another approach to curb the rates of re-arrest.”